The Way of Ten
by xyber116
Summary: A look over the years at the relationship between Wash and Taylor.
1. Up A Tree

A/N: This got way of hand so I decided to post them as individual chapters. These are in chronological order and the POV switches but not consistently. Also, I swear that I didn't steal any of these story lines. Some of them I've been hanging onto for a very long time.

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><p><strong>1. Up A Tree<strong>

The first time they have sex, they are up in a tree. That's right, a tree. It can't be really helped considering the wildlife that surrounds them. It's the only safe place for just two people who both need to sleep.

It's been 5 days since she stepped out of the portal all alone. No one has followed her and they've been surviving pretty well.

They are looking for a confirmation but instead they end up with an affirmation. He needs confirmation that it's actually her and not some hallucination. She needs confirmation that no matter what, she can make this work. They come to the affirmation that they are very much intertwined.

It's uncomfortable to say the least. Not the sex, but the tree.

It starts with him sitting and her straddling, but her knees are soon protesting from the rough bark. So he picks them both up without missing a beat and plants her back against the trunk. It's better, but the tree is so rough that it rubs her back raw.

"Nathaniel," she says barely above a whisper, "stop for a second." He stops, pulls back, and looks worried that he's hurt her.

"The tree is killing me," she says, "Hand me my jacket." He breaks away and lowers her legs down. He leans down to grab her jacket and his back muscles ripple in the moonlight. It servers to just arouse her even more.

He hands her the jacket and she takes a second to take in their appearance. He's shirtless, pants down, and cock at attention. She only has her boots left. How she got everything over them is a mystery.

She pulls her leather jacket on and it frames her breast just so. At this, she sees his eyes darken just that little bit more and it has her pulling him down by the nape of his neck.

They are soon at it again.


	2. TEMPER Tents

**2. TEMPER Tents**

You would think that a modern military would do away with century-plus old equipment, but nope. In addition, the future can't spare the latest or greatest when it comes to an expeditionary force. Especially an expeditionary force that might be get eaten.

That's why, in 105 degree heat, they are setting up 200 year old TEMPER tents. Pain in the ass, heavy, and complicated TEMPER tents. At least that's what everyone keeps saying but that's not what he keeps thinking.

Instead, he pushes through the tiredness with the thought that now he'll have some privacy after 25 days of having to bunk in the open. He'll finally get some alone time with her and it's been a hell of a wait.

So he's helping set up the tents and grunts through it all even though he doesn't have to. He's the commander and he could do as he pleases. But it helps boost morale and all the younger soldiers are having a time of it.

The added bonus is the way she is watching him and the way he is watching her. With the temperature, the humidity, and the work, both of them are sweating and it ends up making their clothes cling to their bodies. Both of their muscles stand out and it only intensifies his need. Much more of this and he might need a cold shower.

Night soon falls and they both make an evening round which is the perfect excuse to retire to his tent at the same time. It's a meeting if anyone asks, but if anyone values their heads, they won't.

They come together quickly and quietly. For the first time, they have to be aware of other people. The whole thing is harsh and over before it even begins, but it satisfies them.

She doesn't leave, even though she should. It'll be somewhat suspicious when she leaves in a few hours.

But neither of them care enough to say it as they lay tangled up on his cot that is barely big enough to contain him, much less the both of them.

But for him, it's perfect.

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><p>AN: Reviews are always welcomed.


	3. The Computer Center In Outpost 10

**3. The Computer Center In Outpost 10**

Six months into being here and they still don't have the critical outposts running.

That's why he makes an "executive decision" to go OTG with Wash and leave Guz in charge. If things go to plan, and they hardly ever do here in this new land, they should only be gone for 4 hours tops.

They both load up the rover with equipment and start the 45 minute journey to Outpost 10. Twenty feet outside the gate she asks if this is his plan to get them some alone time. That's the only plan he really had.

They make it on time, start the setup, and an hour into the work they hear the downpour outside, but they continue on. An hour later they step outside to see the largest raindrops known to man.

"I think we can start using that old saying again," he smirks towards her, "It's raining cats and dogs." She only rolls her eyes at him but a smile tugs at her lips. They load up the rover and make their way back to Terra Nova but soon run into a very large problem.

One of the previously dry river beds is now overflowing with water. They've been flooded out and can't make it back to Terra Nova so they turn around to Outpost 10. Once there, they radio Guz and tell him to watch over the colony.

They take advantage of being alone and fully exercise their lungs in the confined spaces. He isn't the young man he used to be but he knows a lot more tricks to keep her revved up as he takes her over the edge again and again on every different surface in the outpost. First the kitchen counter, then cots, then the wall, then one of the desks, and then the bio bed.

That's when he spots the computer center. They don't have anything like it back at Terra Nova and it's unique to all the outpost. It's the perfect piece of furniture to mark as their own. It's the perfect place to make his stand.

He's moving them from the bio bed and she is absolute putty in his arms.

"You going to help me take these off?" He asks once he's set her down and even though she's still riding her high from early, it doesn't mean she's lost her edge when she throws him a small smirk. She helps him anyway with removing his pants as she's already deliciously naked.

She slowly undoes his belt and button in a slightly teasing manner. Gently slides the zipper down. Moves her hands to his ass and grabs both the pants and briefs to pull them down to his knees. She's at a height that his cock is perfectly aligned with her mouth when she's bent forward just a bit.

He's staring down at her with questioning eyes. He's never outright asked her for this, she's always given it freely. Nathaniel is the only man she's given it away to freely because she trusts him with everything and anything.

She barely takes him into her mouth and teases him with her tongue. Her mouth slides down and she hears him hum in delight as his hands come up to stroke her hair. She reaches one hand up to gently stroke his balls and feels him inhale a breath. She sucks a little and swirls her tongue but not much. She's not planning on ending the show with this so she gives one long suck before pulling away to find his eyes closed and a happy smile on his lips.

He opens his eyes to look down at her and sees she's ready for him just as much as he's ready for her. He pushes her back slightly and aligns their hips together before kissing her. He slides into her folds and holds still for a second as they both adjust. He's resting his forehead on her's as they breathe the same air for a few beats. Then he starts to move.

Long slow strokes at first that has her chewing her bottom lip in joy and then he moves to short strokes but switches back to long ones. He's playing with her breasts and tweaking nipples while her hands run up and down his chest. She playfully flicks one of his nipples and he enjoys the sudden spark. She does it again before moving her hands to his ass to knead the muscle.

Soon they are heading over the edge all at once. His hips stop moving in a rhythm and into an erratic pace.

They are both cooling off on the surface of the computer center when she starts giggling. Giggling is not something that Lieutenant Alicia Washington does. He looks at her like she's gone crazy.

"It's just that I won't be able to look at this console without being reminded of what we did on it," she says with a mile-wide smile.

"That was the plan," he says with his own smile.

"Oh, so it was your plan from the beginning?" she asks while smacking his chest lightly.

"Of course," he answers.

Things don't always go as planned. Instead, they go better than planned sometimes he thinks.


	4. Sunrise Breakfast

A/N 1: I imagine that when Lucas showed up, they would have taken a break before telling Lucas that they were together. Maybe Wash even went OTG or something. So this fic is about them getting back together after Taylor kicks Lucas out of the colony.

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><p><strong>4. Sunrise Breakfast<strong>

When he wakes her up on at 5:20 AM on her day off, she almost tells him to go fuck off. But she thinks about it for a second, realizes that he's trying to do something nice after 4 months of being apart and a week full of tension.

"Come with me," he whispers and she has no problem doing just that. He's never lead her astray and imagines he won't do it now. So she quietly and quickly gets out of bed to dress.

He leads her outside of her housing unit to the fence where they slip silently through a hole. He has a death grip on her hand like he fears she'll disappear on him. About 300 feet into the trees, she spots a tarp that's covering something. He let's her go to remove it and reveals a beat-up old motorcycle that he had claimed as his awhile back. No one's going to miss it while they are gone.

He hands her goggles and the bag as he starts the motorcycle up. She climbs on behind. No words are spoken as they take off into the forest. Words aren't need between them, the silence along with the feeling of each other is just enough.

It's early enough, she's tired enough, and he's warm enough, that she almost falls asleep on the back of the bike during the 30 minute ride. But soon she senses them slowly down and she wakes up just a bit to notice the beautiful clearing they've reached. He motors around the edge of it until they reach what he must think is the best spot.

He stops, helps her off the bike, and puts the bike on the kickstand. He takes the bag from her to pull out several blankets and spreads one out on the ground. He quietly sits and holds out his hand to her as an invitation. She gladly takes it and settles between his legs just as he spreads another blanket over them. It's wonderful.

After several minutes of silence, he takes a look at his watch and sees that it's almost time. This prompts him to speak.

"You are the most beautiful thing in the world Alicia Washington," he speaks quietly as not break the spell that the surrounding landscape has cast. "I wanted you to see the second most beautiful thing," he says as he points to the a peak in the mountains.

Her heart melts and she feels extremely girly. Only Nathaniel can make her feel like that.

Not 30 seconds later, the sun spikes over the peak and billions of rays come cascading down the mountain ridge. It is absolutely breathtaking and that's exactly what happens to her. She can feel Nathaniel smiling behind her. They spend the next several minutes just watching the sunrise in quietude.

"I haven't told you the whole story," he opens with.

"I know," she says, "I've been waiting for you to be ready."

That's how he starts the story of what really happened to Lucas, the sudden appearance of General Philbrick, and how Boylan's been award his bar. It takes awhile, but he gets through the whole thing.

"This was supposed to be our second chance Alicia, and now I've found out that it was fake. All of it fake," he says with disgust.

Maybe she's being insensitive, but she can't stand this side of him. This isn't the man she knows. She knows that he isn't the god that some of the colonist have made him out to be but he is pretty damn close.

Alicia turns around, straddles his lap, and takes his face in her hands to force him to hold eye contact.

"Do you remember that Irish kid, Murphy something or other? He joined up for a bit before he realized he couldn't hack it," she says and he has a confused look on his face. He knows who she's talking about but has no idea what this has to do with their situation. He nods however for her to continue.

"Do you remember how he always used to carry around a key chain? He had a four-leafed clover and just about every good luck charm out there, plus some medal that was blessed by the Pope. Do you remember that?" she asks. He only nods yes.

"Do you remember about two weeks in, you kicked his ass in the training ring?" she asks and at that he smiles slightly at the memory. "Do you remember what you told him after about the third time of knocking him to the floor?" He nods no.

"You pulled him up, grabbed that key chain that he kept all those charms on, and told him 'son, we don't rely on others luck, we make our own,' and then you proceeded to toss the damn thing out of the ring," she says.

"I feel the same way about our second chance. We make our own and I've decided to make you, Nathaniel Taylor, my second chance," she says while staring directly into his eyes and her voice full of emotion.

He feels completely overwhelmed in that moment has he pulls her down for a kiss. They haven't been together for 4 months and it soon escalates into much more. They are pulling off clothing, tongues duel for dominance, and shifting to lay on the soft blanket. As soon as they are naked, he instantly enters and she sighs at the contact. He never wants to wait this long again. They build up a rhythm that is familiar and oh boy does it do astonishing things for the both of them. All too fast they both tumble over the edge into happiness.

The ground and blanket are soft so they are content to just lay there as the sun rays finally reach them. But then her stomach growls.

"I brought breakfast," he says as he rolls over to grab the bag. Her heart soars at this until it suddenly sinks at the sight of two green packages. The man brought breakfast MREs. He didn't make something or pick up things from the market. Hell, the mess hall food would be even better. He brought breakfast MREs. She almost wants to die.

Thankfully, when he rolls back over and hands her the packages, she can read that they both say Peanut Butter and Jelly, which is very eatable. They open one of the packages and share the contents.

They finally get up when they've cooled down considerably. They also need to make it back before everyone is up and about in Terra Nova which will be soon.

They hop on the bike and he pushes the accelerator just a little bit to make it back in 20 minutes instead of 30. They store the motorcycle under the tarp again and he'll come get it later. This time he casually takes her hand, not in the death grip he had earlier, as they walk back towards the hole in the fence.

As they silently slip in, she has the thought that she is totally and completely in love with this man.

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><p>AN 2: Breakfast MREs are really, really bad, so don't ever eat one.


	5. Windex is Amazing

**5. Windex is Amazing**

They are barely OTG when he finds the dino head.

A construction team is outside the gates doing some ditch digging and even though the group is well guarded, they thought they'd wander out there to just enjoy the beauty of Terra Nova.

Surprisingly, it allows them a few minutes to just be a couple. The construction team is well beyond the tree line and he grabs her hand as soon as they're out of sight of the towers. Before they reach the group, he pulls her behind a tree and kisses her senseless. When he pulls away, he gives her this big shit-eating grin. She just smiles back.

They spend a few minutes watching the construction take place and talking to the security team before he ambles away from the group. She's content to remain there and talk.

"Hey Wash," he calls, "You gotta see this." So she walks over to him lazily. When she gets there, he's bent over something in the ground.

"What is it?" she asks. He just stands up and just points at it. She can make out some white under the leaves and the smell is pretty strong. She bends down to take a closer look. That's when she realizes what it is. It's a dinosaur skull.

She stands back and notices the twinkle in his eye. Alicia pictures him as a 5-year with a brand new toy.

"As long as I don't have to touch it, you can keep it," she tells him. He looks like he wants to jump for joy, clap his hands, and squeal like a 13-year old girl. She walks away and wonders how he's going to get it back inside the gate.

When he disappears a few nights later, she doesn't connect the dots as to what he might be doing.

When she walks in the next morning, he is seated behind his new desk. Tight fitting black shirt to show off his biceps, hands steepled, and an intimidating look on his face. He has had this all planned out because all she wants to do right now his fuck him every which way till Sunday on that desk.

He breaks out of his look and smiles at her. Damn man.

So she does her best to not look affected but that desk is just so...him. That's the only explanation she can think of and it's not very elegant.

"Like my new desk?" he asks.

"Mmm...," she pretends to think about it but he knows she's just teasing him. "It doesn't look very sturdy," she says.

"I guess we'll have to test it out then," he says.

Somehow, neither are quite sure how, but they return to their normal activities for the day.

He's right, they really do test that desk out.

She's been hot for him all day, what with all the cock teasing he's been doing in that shirt. But then, he's just as hot for her as well and he actually has the problem of being cock teased. So when they finally do make it back to the Command Center for the night, they briskly lock everything up and strip down to nothing.

He picks her up and sets her down on the desk in one swift motion. She lets out a puff of air and his mouth is instantly on her's. She's been waiting for this all day but instead of going fast and hard like she wants, he takes his time. It's slow dancing with their tongues. She'll allow it for now because she wants to make good use of this desk.

He teases her nipples while running a hand down her spine that has her arching up and into him. He applies more pressure to her nipple while nibbling at her bottom lip. It has her head spinning. Over 3 years together and he still makes her want to faint with just a simple touch. She figures that she'll never get enough of this.

He moves his mouth slightly south onto her neck in search of that one sensitive spot. He finds it and she let's out a moan. She can feel him starting to get harder as she gets more vocal. He continues south and hits her collar bone which results in another throaty moan. She feels him grin against her skin. He sucks a little before moving to the center of her chest.

He barely bites on the swell of her breast. He's always been a breast man and for him, her's are just absolutely perfect. Once again he moves down, this time to her nipple where he takes the left one into his mouth. She's more than happy to let him have his way with her while she simply lets out moan after moan.

His mouth wants to continues the journey down and it has him pushing her onto her back. She complies and his mouth wonders to her stomach. Taut and tanned, he lets his tongue play in her belly button. She's ticklish there and laughs but he doesn't linger long.

He skips over her center and heads instead for her thighs. His beard scrapes softly along the left and then the right as he plants kisses along her thighs. She sits up just slightly to hold his gaze. She sees love there and reflects it back.

He dips his head down to finish what he's started. He licks, sucks, and delves until she's holding on by a thread. One final lick has her coming undone.

After she's come down enough, he has the nerve to ask if she thinks the guards heard them. He is going to pay for that.

A few hours later, they are both satisfied beyond belief. The desk has held up and is covered in prints. Hands, arms, chest, back, butts, thigh, calf, and feet prints to be exact. She made sure that they really did do it every which way till Sunday. She wouldn't have let the opportunity pass by unclaimed.

"I hope you brought cleaner," she asks while she redresses. He disappears for a second into one of the closets and returns holding a bottle filled with a blue liquid and paper towels.

"Windex," he says while handing her the bottle. "I heard it was the best for glass and stashed it in here last night."

This man is planned for everything.

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><p>AN: This was the hardest one to write so far. I had it all planned out and then it disappeared from my brain. It was like I just couldn't get it right every time I sat down to write it.


	6. I Can Tell

**6. I Can Tell**

He quietly slips into her house. He silently slips out of his cloths. He faintly slips over and then under the sheets of her bed. He secretively slips beside her.

He nuzzles her neck with his beard to sweetly wake her up. That's when he realizes that she is absolutely and completely in deep sleep. Alicia Washington never sleeps like this when he is OTG. She is always on edge until he returns but not this time.

He figures he'll just have to wait to get some satisfaction.

She wakes up feeling a lot more warm than when she went to sleep and it's also accompanied by an extra arm over waist. It makes her smile knowing that he's home. She stretches lazily and feels that he is naked. The man is insatiable and she decides to indulge him.

She rolls over, curls her arms over his necks, and presses her whole body against his. He lets out a sigh at the contact but he isn't fully awake yet. Feather light kisses to his jaw and chin. He hums in delight. She can see his eyes move beneath his lids as he starts to wake up. She moves her lips to mouth and teases his lips with her tongue. He responds in kind by swiping the tip of his tongue over her's. She hums in delight as well.

"I missed you," he says once they pull away.

"Mmm...I can tell," she answers by rolling her hips into his. He groans in delight. He is at full attention this morning.

He flips her onto her back and starts to grind. He hits her clit and makes her moan even though she's still clothed. He runs his hands up her sides to lift her tank up to access her breasts. He reaches them and toys with her nipples. She responds by moving her hands up his chest and runs her fingers gently over his nipples. He shivers just the slightest and he moves down to recapture her lips.

They begin to duel again. Tongues run against each, hands move over bodies, and hips roll. He pulls back momentarily to remove her tank top. Once it's gone, they are back to kissing. She grips his shoulders and he slides her underwear down her legs.

He plunges a finger into her center and feels that she's wet. Adds another finger for the friction before he starts pumping out. He delves in up to his knuckles to target her sweet spot. Flicks it once and has her moaning. Again he moves out, in, and then a flick. She's moaning again and it has him growing harder. A few more times with his fingers and she has her eyes closed, back arched, and is mumbling his name over and over.

Before she can tumble over, he removes his hand, slides up her body, and thrusts in. She throws her head back at the feeling of being full. He pulls out half way and grins at her wickedly, not that she can see since she has eyes screwed shut. But at the momentary pause, she throws them open and gives him a glare.

He thrusts back in to rid her of the glare. He's very successful and it's replaced with a throaty moan. He sets a pace that is too slow for her. She tries to urge him on by wrapping her legs around his back and digging her feet into his lower back.

It works for only a second as he punctuates the move with a quite powerful thrust. The whole bed moves and collides with the wall. Somewhere in the distant back of his mind, he hears a picture frame move.

She finds this delightful and tightens the hold of her ankles. He complies by grabbing her waist steadfast and unleashing a torrent of vigorous thrusts. This time he does hear a picture frame fall from the wall and he doesn't give a shit while she's writhing under him. A few more thrusts at this pace has her climaxing and him following right behind.

"I think we broke a picture frame," he says after awhile. She's tangled up with him, has a leg over his hip, arm over torso, and head tucked under his chin.

"I'm not surprised," she answers. "I have to get up soon," she says with a slight hint of sadness lacing her words.

"I know but for now, just stay here a bit. There's no rush to go out," he says willing her to stay in bed.

She snuggles deeper into his skin. He thinks about removing her from the pre-dawn rounds but knows she would get up to do them anyway. He's just happy to be here for now.


	7. For Just This Second, Say Yes

A/N 1: This is for the episode, 1x05, The Runaway.

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><p><strong>7. For Just This Second, Say Yes<strong>

She's pissed. He's pissed. But by the time they finally get to have a moment with each other, it's faded away.

They are laying in her bed, his arms wrapped tightly around her, and she feels safe for the first time that day. It's quiet. They are quiet. They continue to lay there.

"You threatened war," she states.

"That I did," he says in his Commander voice.

"Was that for me or the colony?" she asks.

"For you," he answers. She's flooded with a warmth through her chest. They don't say 'I love you' often but they sure as hell express it. This is one of those times. Before she changes her mind, she gets up to leave. But he tightens his hold.

"Where you going?" he asks. Not mad, just curious to why she would break this moment.

"I'll be right back. I want to get something for you," she answers and he lets her go. She heads for the closet with a specific target in mind. She takes a second to remember where she hid it. It's been awhile since she's pulled it out of the hiding space.

But eventually, she remembers that it's located in her socks.

There it is. A perfectly round and gorgeous ivory ring. She'd bought in Somalia before everything had gone to hell. It was originally going to be just something for a long time friend and nothing more. Ivory by that time had all but disappeared but somehow that little vendor had managed to hold onto it until she came along. She had paid a fairly high price but it wasn't like she didn't have the money for it. She thinks that ivory is a perfect expression of his soul. It is symbolically hard, elegant, intelligent, and intensely loyal. It's one of the few possessions that she had packed when she left for Terra Nova.

It's been almost 10 years since she's bought it and almost 7 years since they've been together, but she's never found the perfect moment to give it to him. Now is that moment. She closes her hands over it to hide it from him.

She makes her way back to him, exactly where she left him in the bed, and he has an expression of curiosity on his face. Softly, she lays down to face him.

"Hold your hand out," she commands and he does just that. She's scared of how he might react to the gift but she feels compelled to do this. Gently, she places the ring in his open palm and his eyes stay locked with her eyes until he feels the cool material in his hand. He looks down and his stunned.

"Marry me," she says.

"Alicia..." he says faintly. She flips him onto his back with a shunt of her hips. She brings her forehead down to his and closes her eyes.

"I know we can't," she says. "For just this second, say yes."

"Yes," he says and she lets out the breath she was holding. He lifts himself just enough to capture her lips while he has a death grip on the ring. He pulls away a second later and hands the ring back to her. For a moment she's confused, until he holds his hand up, signally that he wants her to put the ring on his finger. It's a perfect fit, even though she hadn't planned the ring for that particular finger.

They take it slow to make love. It's impossibly gentle for two old soldiers but Alicia has just proposed. It's monumental. Their tongues softly and lazily roam over each others. It's overly sweet for them but in this instance, it's perfect.

She moves her mouth off of his and latches on to his ear. Gently nibbles on the lob, traces the shell with her tongue, and blows over the moist area. He shivers.

Next she maneuvers down to his neck. A spot under his jaw that always does him in, and she goes straight for it. It really does him in this time and it has him moaning and groaning right away. She has him right where she wants him.

That's until he flips them over and starts to grind away. She's the one that starts to moan and groan. He angles his hips this way and that to rub her clit. It leaves her dripping wet and now she wants him to rush things but he's seems happy to remain in what little clothing they have on.

She'll have none of that and makes a move to take off his shirt. But he's quicker, has her's half way off and to a point where she can't do anything about his shirt. She huffs slightly in annoyance but as long as they both end up naked she really doesn't care.

He whips her tank across the room. Next he takes his own shirt off. Leans forward to slide her underwear down her legs and lets them go sailing somewhere. His briefs are the final measure before they are both completely naked.

The desire in his eyes only grow more. She matches that desire with a darkening of her own.

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><p>She awakens the next morning to the sound of her alarm clock going off. No rest for a soldier, even if they've been held hostage the other day.<p>

But when her hand slips from her alarm clock to her bedside table she finds a little surprise. Something cool to her touch and a slip of paper.

Her eyes throw open at this but she quickly blinks back against the tired feeling. It takes a second for her eyes to adjust. She looks again and realizes that the object is a ring. A dark and beautiful ring. She can't make out the material though and she goes for the note.

_Alicia,_

_I bought this in Somalia. It's some type of African hardwood but I can't remember the name._

_Marry me?_

_Love,_

_Nathaniel_

Her gasp is loud and she's suddenly breathless. Totally breathless. Stunned beyond anything.

Unexpectedly he's there in the doorway with a mug of coffee.

"Is that a yes?" he asks.

"Yes," she answers with a single tear quietly trekking down her cheek. She's not one for emotions, especially in front of him but, this man has a way of touching her.

He climbs into the bed with her and slips the ring on her finger.

"I was planning on asking you soon but you beat me to the punch," he says while holding her against his chest. "Do you like it?"

"Yes, it's beautiful," she answers. "You've been holding on to it for a long time." He simply hums at that. "I didn't get a chance tell you last night, but your ring is from Somalia as well," she says.

"Great minds think alike," he says while admiring her hand with the ring on it. It brings a warmth to his heart.

He starts to hum, some old song that she recognizes a bit. Then he starts to sing quietly and it has her almost surprised as the ring.

"I fell into a burning ring of fire. I went down, down, down and the flames went higher. And it burns, burns, burns, the ring of fire. The ring of fire," he finishes softly.

"Johnny Cash. The man in black. How appropriate," she says with a small chuckle and he chuckles too. "You know we can't wear these out in public?"

"What do you say to wearing them on our tags? Close to our hearts." He asks.

"Brilliant," she answers as she's removing her tags over her head. But he stops her.

"Not just yet," he says. "I want to admire it for awhile longer before we go out on patrol."

She's perfectly content to do just that.

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><p>AN 2: The rings on the tag idea actually came from a fic that I must have read over 10 years ago. Also, after I wrote this, I watched the interview with Stephen Lang where he says he listens to Johnny Cash and I was really surprised.


	8. Wash Wishing Washing Was Wrapped Up

**8. Wash Wishing Washing Was Wrapped Up**

For some reason, after proposing marriage, it's made him into a horny teenager all over again. So, it doesn't surprise her to feel his arms wrap around her waist as she's doing a few dishes. She didn't hear him enter over the running water but she had felt his presence a mere second before he's on her.

His lips attack her spine right above the collar of her shirt. She feels his smile against her skin.

"Nathaniel," she admonishes lightly. "Are you going to let me finish these dishes?"

"Nope," he answers and she hears his smart-ass tone.

"Didn't think so," she retorts. She finishes washing off the soapy plate in her hand and sets it in the rack to dry. The other things can wait until they are done.

He moves his lips down the back of her neck until her shirt begins to get in the way. His hands have found their way to her hips and have moved under her shirt to find skin. But he doesn't linger long before moving to the button of her pants and starts to undo it.

She grips the edge of the counter around the sink. Alicia is more than willing to let him do all the work but it doesn't mean she won't have a little fun. She uses the leverage of the counter to grind her backside into his front side.

He groans against her skin and she smirks. He has her pants down and around her ankles. The cool air washes over her skin. She hears him undo his belt and pants before they fall to the ground over his boots.

He bends her forward a bit more, followed by the spreading of her feet as far as her clothes will allow. He lines up behind her again and works his hand over her clit. She's wet for him even after a small amount of foreplay. It only proves to him how much she always wants him. His unoccupied hand moves up to cup her breast through her shirt and bra. He gently squeezes in a loving manner.

Next things she registers is that he has thrust inside her. He pulls back and slams heavily against her. It sends her hands slipping against the edge of the counter and into the soapy water of the sink.

She tries to grip the bottom of the sink for some purchase but instead she registers a sharp pain against her left palm.

He's still working up a rhythm behind her as she pulls her hand out the sink to see red blood dripping down her hand.

"Shit," she says at the same time thrusts into her. It has her bumping against the counter in a very unpleasant way.

"Cursing during sex? I like it," he says jokingly. She just holds her hand up to for him to see what has her upset.

Nathaniel Taylor is not a man that panics but for whatever reason, this has him alarmed. He pulls out of her and turns to go get the first aid kit she keeps in her bathroom. But he's forgotten that he has his pants wrapped around his boots, so as he turns he face plants into the kitchen floor.

Normally, she would laugh but the cut on her hand is fairly deep and now she has on unconscious man on her floor. The first thing she does is grab a towel to wrap around her hand. Next she pulls up her pants. Then she rolls Nathaniel onto his back to see that he's banged his nose pretty hard but it looks like nothing is broken. He's slowing coming to at this point.

"Pull your pants up and I'll grab the first aid kit," she says to him.

As she's walking away, she thinks that this is why he should have let her finish those dishes.

* * *

><p>AN: Just a little domestic fun mixed in with an accident.


	9. Sunrise Redux

**9. Sunrise Redux**

The Harvest Festival is usually a time when they get to relax and have some fun. But not this time. No, this time Jim Shannon has to go poking his nose in business that isn't his.

Not that she completely blames him. Nathaniel did put him in charge of finding the Sixer spy which led Shannon down the road to discover Nathaniel's secret.

That's why the day after they've arrested Shannon, she's sneaking into Nathaniel's house to wake him up before sunrise. The whole colony is asleep and so is her future husband.

She gently shakes him awake and he rolls over with surprise in his eyes.

"Come with me," she asks of him and he complies. They silently leave the house to sneak out the fence.

Just like so many years ago, she's stashed his motorcycle under a tarp and to say he's happy is an understatement. She can see the relief flood his eyes as he wraps his arms around her. They share a brief embrace before uncovering the motorcycle. They quickly mount the bike and take off in the direction of the clearing.

They've been back to this beautiful spot only a handful of times due to the fact that they can hardly schedule time off together. It's one of the many downsides of being the highest ranking people in the colony.

But as they motor around the clearing to their favorite spot, she feels the tension leave her body. This place has healing powers and she's hoping Nathaniel will find it freeing.

They come to a stop and dismount. She spreads out a blanket and invites him to join her. He does so willingly and lays his head down in her lap for her to gently strokes his hair.

The sun peeks over the crest moments later and they revel in the rays.

"Are you going to be okay?" she asks a few moments later and feels him tense under her hand. She'd seen the way he was shaken while standing on the stage last night. Not many people would have picked up on it but she did. It's one of the benefits of knowing him after so many years.

"Yes," is the only answer he gives and she believes him. He is the perfect example of strength in her eyes and has succeed in overcoming everything that has happened to him. Jim Shannon may have brought up a difficult time in their lives, but that's all.

She feels Nathaniel stroking her thigh in time to the strokes of her hand through his hair. With the spy running around, both of them have been busy and away from each other. Now that they are finally alone, of course he wants to have sex. It's a good thing that she's missed him as well.

His hand moves up her thigh to run along the waistband of her pants. She moves her hand down and under his shirt to swipe her fingers over his back. He turns his face into her lap and she can feel him smile against her leg. He pulls himself up her body as she leans back on her one free arm. He continues his upward journey until he is perfectly aligned with her body.

He is at face level with her and they lock eyes. His eyes show love and happiness and she reflects it back. Nathaniel closes the distance between them and slowly moves his lips over hers. It's a gentle kiss at first that soon turns into something more. She presses her tongue against his lips to seek entry. He grants it and they are dueling. Her body temperature rises as they continue to make out.

Eventually, Nathaniel decides he's had enough of this and sweeps her arm out from underneath her. They both flop onto the ground and the wind is knocked out of her. But he's leaning over her and giving her a shit-eating grin. This man can be insufferable at times but she loves him nonetheless.

She moves her hands to his chest and starts to pull his shirt up to reveal his skin. Between his arms and his chest, she's not sure what she finds more attractive. One feature protects her and another is just so damn sexy. But she has to settle on neither since she has all of him.

While she was removing his shirt, he was pulling her's up as well. The temperature is slightly chilly this early in the morning and both of them are developing goosebumps across their exposed skin. They break apart to finish removing their respective shirts and he reaches over to grab the extra blanket she packed. He unfolds it and flings it over them to provide some additional warmth. He can be extremely sweet and caring.

Then he settles himself over her again as they continue the journey to satisfaction. He's undoing her belt, then the button of her pants, and finally the zipper. He slips them and her underwear down her legs and she reaches behind her to undo her bra, which she promptly flings against the motorcycle. The flourish has him chuckling at her silliness.

She was right in bringing them here. He's already lost all the heaviness that had encompassed him last night and there's a glimmer of pure happiness in his eyes. It may have to do with the impending sex they are about to have but, she hopes that it's more than that.

He's pulled her pants down to her boots and instead of taking them off, he maneuvers them over the boots. She just laughs in response. For some reason, it's his fantasy to make her wear combat boots during sex. She is happy to oblige.

"Where's your jacket?" he asks.

"On the seat," she answers as he moves away. He's taken the blanket with him and she immediately feels the cold air move in. It makes her shiver.

He has the jacket and is pulling her into a sitting position to put it on her. It almost makes her feel like a child with him taking her arm and shoving it into the sleeve. He does the same for the other arm and smooths down the collar.

He rests back on his heels to take in the sight of her. Combat boots and leather jacket framing her breasts. He just leers at her and she laughs while shoving against his chest.

It's enough force to send him backwards and she jumps on him in a flash. Her nimble fingers make quick work of his belt and pants before shoving them down his thighs. He's hard as a rock and she gently grasps him to pump a few times. He groans in pleasure and before he can think twice, her warmth is enveloping him.

She take a moment to savor the connection before moving in a slow rhythm. Up and down in small circles that has him panting. His fingers have moved up to her hips and are digging into her skin. It brings a little pain but it mixes with the pleasure to make her feel amazing.

Suddenly, he jerks his hips upward and it penetrates at just the right angle that she's moaning loudly. He pushes up again just as she falls down and they establish an even more tantalizing rhythm.

Sweat is beading on the skin of her stomach to only be cooled by the air and she can see little beads of perspiration gathering on his chest. She leans forward to run her tongue across his right pectoral and down to circle his nipple. He shivers at the contrast between the warmth of her tongue and the cool air surrounding them.

But she moves back before he can flip them and she regains her initial pace. A few more down strokes and they both are peaking in delight. She collapses onto top of him and he pulls the blanket over. She hums in joy and he affirms it with his own hum of pleasure.

By this time, the sun has reached a good distance above the peaks signally that they need to leave soon. But neither wish to leave this peaceful respite from the colony and it's worries.

"I say we celebrate every Harvest Festival this way from now on," he says to her while gently stroking his hand through her hair.

"I agree," she answers.

Eventually, they do move and make their way back to the colony. Just like so many years ago, she is overwhelmed by the love that she feels for this man as they are sneaking back into the colony.


	10. The  Personality Test

**10. The Personality Test**

It's the night before the 11th pilgrimage and neither of them can sleep. They've gone over what can happen tomorrow a million times but there are still so many unknowns. On top of it all, they've fought about her staying behind. They've spent the better part of the night staring at the ceiling with a foot between them and she's just plain tired of this space.

"Oh for heaven's sake," she says as she rolls over to flip on the light. He quickly brings up his arm to shield his eyes from the sudden light.

"Why in the world did you do Alicia?" he asks with mild irritation and an emphasis on her name.

"Were you actually sleeping Nathaniel?" she asks as she's reaching into her night stand.

"Well, no but that doesn't mean I wanted to be assaulted by the light," he says with a humph.

She pulls out her plex and turns it on to scroll for something.

"I found this the other day and while we don't really have to do it, I thought it might be fun," she says as she hands him the plex. He takes it and reads the title.

"A pre-marriage counseling personality test?" he asks. "You're right. We really don't need this," he says while handing the plex back to her.

"I know but...that doesn't mean I don't want to know what it says," she says and he can see that she's slightly nervous about asking him to do this.

"Okay, fine," he relents. It's not like he has anything better to do since he can't sleep.

"So the first question..." she says.

Halfway through the questionnaire, they reach the section where they answer questions about their partners.

"What is your partner's best physical feature?" she ask him.

"That's a hard one," he answers and pretends to ponder the question.

"Oh come on, you just have to pick one," she says.

"Yes, but it's not that easy," he says.

"Well, how about I go first then?" she ask. "That will give you some time to narrow it down between my tits and my ass," she teases him.

"You know that's not true," he says back while narrowing his eyes at her.

"I know. I'm just teasing," she says. "Okay my favorite physical feature of yours is your eyes."

"My eyes? Really?" he asks.

"Yes," she answers confidently.

He moves his arms are over her so he can lay on top of her. He pins her with his blue eyes and stares hard.

"My eyes?" he asks again.

"Yes, why is that so hard to believe?" she asks while folding her brow in question.

He goes sullen for a moment and she sees him flashback to some old memory.

"Ayani always said my eyes were my best feature, too," he answers. The revelation is fascinating. For all the ways that Alicia and Ayani are different, they are similar in so many ways as well.

"Well, she did have good taste," she says and is glad to see it brings a small smile to his lips. "Do you think she would be happy for us?"

"She would be but I think she would be kicking us for not going public sooner," he answers.

"Well, I think she would understand that we were trying to stay safe. That we were waiting for the right moment," she says and it's clear that she's trying to imply that she knew his previous wife better than him.

"So she would," he says. He moves down to capture Alicia's lips in a sweet and gentle kiss. They break apart a few moments later. "Let's finish this questionnaire later."

"Yes, let's," she says in agreement as she sets the plex off to the side.

They make love that night with thoughts of their joined future hanging in the air.

* * *

><p>AN: Hope you liked it.


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